conachek



(No Model.) '1 sheets-sheet 1.

A.. CONAGHER.

REFRIGERATING MACHINE.

No. 396,730. Patented @11.129, 1889.

I' N. PETERS. Pnuxn-Lxxmgmpmr. wminpm o c.

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2.

` A. COl\A(}]-I`EIR.

RBPRIGERATING MACHINE.

No. 396,730. y Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

(No Model.) Y'1 Smets-sheen 3.

Ai GONACHER.

RBPRIGERATING MACHINE.

No. 396,730. Patented amm, 1889.

N PETERSy Pham Uxhugmphur, wnmngtun, D. c.

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 4..

A. CONACHER. RBFRIGERATING lvrAGHIlvE.`

No.' 396,730. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

.u /ATTE ST lpu/ENTGR (NoMo-del.) V 7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

. ONAHER,

REPRIGERATING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 29", 1889.-

y (512M/LowA /WTEsy (No Model.)

,v7 Sheets-Sheet b".v

A. .GONAGHER RBFRIGBRATING MAGHINE.

Patented Jan.29, 1889i Fl G- L Pleno- N PETERS Phnwumogmpmr. wmmgxm D.c.

(No lyrode1.\ 7 sheets-Sheen 7.,

A. GONACHER. 'PbEl-"RIGERA'JING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

Fl G- I3- ffy 77%.4071/ TEST- Unirse @raras arent' Orrrcn.

ALEXANDER ONA(lllER, OF WTNDSOR, COUNTY OF 'BICRKS, ENGLAND.

REFRIGERATING-MACHHNE..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,730, dated January.29, 1889.

Application filed May 10, 1888. Serial No. 273,424. (No model.)

To all whom it may comm/12.-

Be it known thatI, ALEXANDER (fomcnnn, a subject of the Queen ot' Great.lhfitaim residing at Hudson in the county ot lierks, in England, haveinvented certain new and uset'ul Improvem ents in RefrigeratingMachines, of which the following` isa specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying' drawings.

The object of this improvement is to obtain cold or ice by exposingwater to a high vacuum and causing the vapor leaving' the water to passover the surface of sulphur-ic acid or other great absorbent of water oraqueous vapor.

The apparatus consists of an absorber or vessel to cont-ain sulphuricacid, a vessel to contain the water to be frozen, means forautomatically admitting` the water intermittently in the apparatus, withpipes and cocks connecting them, the whole used in connection with anair-pump specifically set t'orth and claimed in a comlmnion pendinglapplication, or with other suitable vacuum-Inimp.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vert-icalsection ot a machine constructed in accordance withmyinvention. Fig'. 2is a transverse vertical section on line :c x of Fig'. 1. Fig'. 3 is alongitudinal vertical section of al machine embodying my invention,showing the pump-shaft operated by gearing `trom the main shaft. Fig. isa side view otl a machine embodying my invention, but provided with alarger vapor-absorber vessel, and consequently ot' greater workingcapacity. Fig. 5 is a himgitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. Ga transverse vertical section on line ot Fig'. 5. Fig. 7 is a transversevertical section on line y zj of Fig. 5. Fig. S is a sideview, partly insection, of the machine shown in Fig. 5l. Fig'. fl is a lvei'ticalsection, on an enlarged scale, ot the parts relating to the novel modeot' automatically admitting the water to be frozen. Fig. l0 is asectional plan of the same. Fig. ll

represents the acid-vessel in side elevation with parts connectedtherewith in vertical section. Fig. l2 represents, in side elevation andpartly in section, modified means for autornatically admitting`intermittently the water to be frozen. Fig'. 13 is a detail view, on

a larger scale, ot the means lor regulating the stroke imparted to theval'vfe-spindle.

This ret'rigera-tin g'n1achi ne is provi ded with an ai r-pump,consisting ot two vertical pump- 5 5 barrels, A, resting on a horizontalclosed chamber, B, that is provided with a crank-shaft, O, passing'through it, one end havin a bearing in a boss in the interior on one endof the chainliier and the other end passing' out 6o through a bearingand stuffing-box in the 0pposite end. The boss and the stifling-box maybe secured on the ends of the chamber B. This crank-shaft has two cranksplaced oppositely to each other, each ot' which is di- 65 rectly belowthe center of one of the pumpbarrels A. The pistons D are operated fromthe cranks by the connecting-rods E. The tops of the barrels are domed,and in the center ot' the dome part A a circular metal 7c plate, F, isseated, having the seats oit the suction and discharge valves ot thepump. The suction-pipe G, leading' to the pump-barrel, is screwed into arecess bored down into the plate F or otherwise united thereto.

7c is a vacuum-gage on top ot the pipe G. The suction-valve Il is madeof a metal disk with dermatine or leather, or other suitable materialnot affected by hydrocarbon oils, and it takes its scat against the un-8o der side of the plate F. lVithin the lower end of the pipe G isplaced a tubular stem ot the suctioirvalve. Said stein H is closed atthe top, and passes through the plate F and ext-ends within the pipe Gior a length ex- 85 cceding the length of the stroke of the pump.

The discharg'ewvalve I consists ot an annular disk, of dermatine orother suitable material, resting on top of the plate F, which has anumber of holes drilled through it to `form 9o outlets from thepumpbarrel. In the side of the dome A there is an outlet to receive thedischarge-pape K, the bottom thereof being' slightly above the level ofthe seating' of the discharge-valve I. This pipe K leads each barrelinto the trap-cylinder L,/p1@ed on top ot the chamber B andcgm/in'inicating therewith. This trap-cylinder is open to the air at thetop, but covered with a light cover.

The pump-pistons D have their upper ends :oo made to/.fit the shape ofthe pumpbarrels and the/bbttom of the suctioirvalve. Eachdischarge-valve has a metal washer, l, on top and is held to its seat bya spiral spring', I2, and the valves Il are held to their seats byspiral springs H2. The crank-shaft is revolved by hand or other power inthe usual way.

A hydrocarbon oil having a boilin gpoin t of @L50o to 600 Fahrenheit ispoured into the pump until it fills the whole space up to the under sideof the pistons l) and fills part of the trap-cylinder L. A small gutteror depression is left in the chamber B under each crank and providedwith a pipe, N, and cock to empty the pump.

One of the acid-vessels is represented at O. It is made of cast-ironenameled inside 1o resist the acid and made in halves joined by flangesand bolts and fixed in the framing l of the machine. ln order to miX oragitate the acid thoroughly while it absorbs the watery vapor and toprevent the formation of a thick upper layer of weak acid, which wouldretard the freezing operation, and to insure the complete absorption ofthe aqueous vapors in the absorber, I provide a cir ailating pump, Q,made of enameled iron or of earthenware and held between the top andbottom parts of the said vessel O. The pump-valves may be made of ballsshaped as shown. The

bucket R is by preference of eartheuware,

the lower end of the bucket-rod S being secured therein by lead run in.',lhe rod S, which is enameled, vpasses up through a stuliing-box formedwith the cup O vfor holding water for efiectually liquid-sealing.

The barrel Q has perforated pipes Q', vfor producing a spray or showerof acid, and holes Q2, for relieving or removing any surplus acid pumpedup. The pump-rod S is pivoted to a lever, T, pivoted to the framing Pand caused to reciprocate by an eccentric-rod, u, from an eccentric, V,on the boss of the Iiywheel XV or other driving part of the crankshaftc. The densest acid drawn Vfrom the bottom of the vessel O will thuspass through the perforated pipes Q and holes Q2 and be poured as ashower over the surface of the acid of over a receiver, Q3, containingporous substances, as pumice-stone, and thence into the acid. Thissurface acid, having absorbed aqueous vapor, has been momentarilyweakened; but it has thus been again strengthened and made moreeitective as an absorbent by this strong acid. Then the acid has becometoo weak to work with, it is strengthened as follows: A quantity of thehydrocarbon oil before referred to is poured into the trough or bath X,(shown in dotted lines,) suspended around the lower part of theabsorber, and

\`--\heat is applied to the trough X by means of a gas-purper orotherli'umiace attached to it. lt is heatedirr?OOO or 300O lfahrenheit,and when this tempcram-isle@stered or a thermometer inserted in the bath.the pumps A A and chamber B are emptied of their charge of oil by meansof the pipes l' and cocks underneath and are charged with water, thevalve Y on the pipe Z being open for communication between theacid-vessel O and the top of the pump. under the vacuum formed thewatery vapor leaves the acid in the vessel O and is drawn through thepump A A. lVhen the acid has been sufliciently concentrated, the oil isdrained out of the bath X through a cock at its lowest part, and thebath is filled with cold water to cool the hot acid. dien cooled and thepump recharged with oil, the machine is again ready foi-work. The samebath,X, is also, during the freezin process, kept supplied with a fiowoli' cold water to prevent the acid in the vessel O from becoming toohot. freezing large blocks of ice a high cone-shaped glass vessel issuitable, such as 1, Fig. 2. Its upper or wide end is open and tits on aring, 2, of rubber, which is seated in a recess cut into the bottom angeof the passage 3, leading to the absorber O. The water to be frozen maylie-introduced by a small pipe, 4, and valve 5 inserted into it; butthis method of admitting the water in a const-ant line stream has atendency to produce porous or honeycombed ice, in contradistinction ofthe dense solid ice produced by the automatic intermittent tlowhereinafter described, and shown in Figs. S, 9, l0, 12, and 13.

Fig. 3 shows a modified construction of the absorber, or rather of theparts for circulating the acid, that l found to be best in practice, Thepump Q is made smaller than in Fig. l. and is surrounded by a jacket,Q3, containing pieces of pumice-stone or the like and having a grid topand bottom. The acid pumped up descends through the pumice-stone andthrough the lower grating of the jacket like a shower.

In Figs. 4t, 5, G, and 7 the acid-vessel O is made of such a form thatit can conveniently be made of castiron enameled inside to withstand theacid, and is provided with an enameled -iron spindle, s', having armsQ5,

with half-round trough-shaped agitators Q6,`v

(all enameled,) which continually bring the heavier parts of the acid upfrom the bottom and discharge it upon the surface; but rotary agitatorshave heretofore been used for the same purpose. On the spindle s arealso mounted arms R, which are provided with cups R', all of enamelediron. These latter continually raise heavy acid from the lowest part ofa chamber formed at one end of the acid-vessel an d empty it vin to atrapped trough, Q2, whence it overliows onto the upper grating or coverof the pumice-stone trap Q.

The watery vapor rising up through the pumice-stone or other material(already described) in. the box or trap meets the acid descendingthrough the interstices of such material and is absorbed by it. Thespindle s passes out through a stuffing-box with waterscalingarrangements, as shown, and is worked from the shaft C of the machine'or pump in any suitable manner.

l shall now describe the means which I have found suitableforintrodueing the water to be The )um J is then o )erated and For IOO

IIO

frozen in the regular intermittent manner alluded to instead of theadmission by a constant flow, as heretofore.

The water to be frozen is admitted to the vessel l, Figs. S, 9, and l0,the upper flange of which seats itself against the rubber jointring,which fits in a recess formed on the nnder side of the pipe 3, thatcommunicates with.

the upper part of the acid-vessel O. For the intermittent wateradmission to the freezingvessel l, Fig. S, I use a valve, a, Fig. 9. Thespindle b of same passes up througlra tube, c, being guided therein at dand by the disk e, which latter is perforated for the passage of thewater. The end of the spindle b has a disk, f, also perforated, betweenwhich and the disk e, I. provide a helical spring, g, which tends .toclose the valve a. 7i is a rod for depressing the spindle h and thusopening the valve a. This rod /zy passes through a stu flingboX at fi',and is depressed bythe lever r, having its fulcrum at L and formed witha head, Z, with adjusting-screw my, the lower end of which comes againstthe end of rod 7L. The lever k is intermittently depressed by the rod n,Fig. S, which comes against a linger, k2, jointed to the lever r.. Therod a is attached to the slotted crank-head o', Fig. S, and recei ves anup-and-down motion from the same.

The water to be frozen is admitted to the interior of the hollow stein cby a flexible tube, c', Fig. l0, attached toV an inlet-shank, c2, on thehollow handle c3, opposite to which there is a solid handle, ci. Thehandles c3 c* serve to raise and lower the hollow stem c when the valvesLt and 5 are to be closed or opened, will be presently described. In thedownstroke of the crank-head o the rod fn, acting on the finger k2,depresses the lever 7.1, and thereby opens the valve t for an instant,while in the upstroke the rod n raises the finger 7a2 and goes past it.The screw m 'serves to regulate the amount of opening of the valve a asit changes the angle or inclination of the lever k, and consequentlymodifies the amount of contact of the linger k2 with the rod n. Thehollow stem c passes out through a stuffing-box gland, s, which can beturned by the handle The latter passes out through a slot in the cap t,which is free to turn in its place. ',lhe'cup-shaped part n2 of thecasting 3 is kept charged with water, so as to lute the shitting-boxgland sl. When the freezing-vessel .l has become sufficiently filledwith ice and an empty vessel is to take its place, I first lift the stemc by taking hold of the handles ci ci, and thus close the valve al.against the valve 5, and vthe latter then against the joint-i 'asher il,the valve 5 not bc` ing attached to the stem c or valve-i, but beingloosely support-ed by the latter. Communication is then cut off from theacid-vessel O, and the vacuum is retained in it. Air is then admittedthrough the valve a or by a small valve (not shown in the drawings) tothe vessel l, so as to destroy `the vacuum therein. The vessel l canthen be detached and an empty vessel substituted. The small valve 4g isthen iirst depressed and opened against the vacuum above it, and thenthe large valve 5 can be easily depressed. The

vessel l, being then in communication with the other portions of themachine in which a 4 vacuum had been retained, is held securely in itsplace against the rubber joint-washer 2, and the machine being startedagain and a sniticient vacuum obtained the intermittent water admissiontothe vessel I is commenced,

as before.

Then operating the vacuum-pump to obtain a sufcient vacuum beforestarting the freezing operation, the acid-pump is put out of gear bypushing the spur-wh eel o along farther on its shaft s, Fig. S, until itis out of gear with the spur-wheel q. Ihen a sufficient vacuum isobtained to produce ice, the spur-wheel r is putin gear again and theacidpump operated from it.

Fig. ll is a part-sectional eleva-tion of the acid-vessel and partsconnected therewith, illustrative of a mode of reconcentrating the acid.has been temporarily removed, I attach, by means of screw-clanips t' orother suitable means, a vessel, it", to which is connected or attachedan outer vessel, mi, provided with a hand-pn mp, y, for forming apartial vacuum. The outer vessel, no", is kept full of cold water by aconstant flow, and the water, covering t-he iiange forconnecting it tothe pipe 3, insures a tight lute-joint at this place. The suction end ofthe pump is by a pipe, y, connected with the upper part of the innervessel, et. rlhe absorber is then heated by any suitable means-such as agas-stove, an oilstove, or by a furnace applied directly to theabsorber, or by a bath containing oil around it-and the connectionsbetween the acid-vessel O and the pump A of the machine being shut offby the valve Y, Fig. l, a partial vac uum is produced in the acid-vesselO and the vessel t* by working the pump y, Fig. ll. Under the partialvacuum and the heat applied to the outside of the acid-vessel O, asalready described, the watery parts of the acid therein will beevaporated and the vapors will be drawn by the pump 11/ into the vesselr and effectually condensed therein, thus reconcentrati n the aci dInstead of reconcentrating by the aid of a vacuum I am, as alreadystated, by reason of employing an enamel ed-iron absorber,enabled toreconcentrate under atmospheric pressure. In such case I shut oit'communication with the vacuum-pump A, Fig. l, and dispense with thevacuum-pump y, Fig. Il, and apply direct heatby any suitable means tothe absorber and lead off the vapors in any convenient way into theatmosphere. I Iind that the enameled-iron absorber etfectu allywithstands such high and direct heat as is required for this method ofreconcentration.

Fig. l2 is a part side elevation illustrating another mode of actuatingthe valve for in- In place ot the freezing-vessel, which IIO termittentwater-supply to the freezing-vessels. In this case the crank whichoperates the slotted cross-head o on the upper end of the valve-spindles will in its downstroke depress the arm n of a double-armed lever,thereby distending the spring n and raising' the other arm, 7e, whichhas a hammer head or knob on its end. arm fa, the spring n will pull itup, and the hammer at the end of the arm 7,; will thereby impart a smartblow to the head of the spindle b of the water-admission valve a, thusopening the latter for an instant, these parts being constructed asshown in Fig. 13.

Fig. 13 is a detail view showing the means for regulating the strokeimparted to the valve-spindle. To the arm n is attached a helicalspring, n', the upper end of which rests in the bottom of a slot in arod, 17, which passes through the bracket 1S and is provided with a pin,9. On bracket 1S is fixed a socket, 10, with a slot and cross-slots likea bayonet-joint for the pin 9 to work in. By taking hold of thecrutch-handle ll the rod 17 can be raised or lowered and the pin 9entered into any one of the cross-slots, (three such being shown here asan example,) by which means the tension of the spring' n is increased ordiminished as desired for enabling the hammer-arm 7c to give a strongeror lighter blow to the valve-stem, so that the valve a thus admits moreor less water to the interior of the freezing-vessel 1 each time thevalve a is opened. By admitting the water intermittently in this mannerthe ice can be formed in solid blocks, as the water admitted at eachstroke given to the valve-stem is forced to the bottom of thefreezing-vessel or onto the surface of the ice formed on the bottom ofthat vessel and there freezes, and a block corresponding' in size to theinterior of the vessel is formed, whereas with a continuous iiow ofwater into the freezing-vessel the ice forms-into icicles and sprays onthe sides of the vessel, forming a' hollow block or cylinder of ice.Then the rod 17. is pushed down, so that the pin 9 can be extended intothe lowest cross-slot, the lever n is depressed so far as to be out ofreach of the actuating-crank, and hence is at rest or inactive, no waterbeing then admitted to the freezing-vessel.

To operate'the machine shown inl Figs. 3, 8, and 9 so as toinstantaneouslyproduce solid ice in blocks, the valve 5, Fig. 9, isfirst closed against the rubber disk 2 by raising the stem c. Thevacuum-pump is then operated until a partial vacuum is formed in theacid-vessel and pipe 3. The glass cylinder is then held up to the rubberdisk and the stem c depressed, thus making communication between theinteriors of the glass freezing-vessel and the acid-vessel and causingthe glass vessel to become seated on the rubber by means of the vacuumso formed. The vacuum-pump is now operated until a sufficient vacuum isobtained to freeze water,

which amount of vacuum is determined by l.Vhen the crank lets go the theconversion into ice of a small quantity of water previously admittedinto the freezingvessel. The wheel r, which in the beginning was out ofgear with the wheel q on the driving-shaft, is slid on a feather alongthe shaft s2 and operates the acid-pump Q. This latter raises the acidand distributes it over the surface of the perforated plate Q', whenceit descends through the interstices of the pumicestone and falls in ashower onto the surface of the acid underneath. The quantity of acid put'into the acid-vessel is sufficient to nearly fill half the spacebetween the bottom of the vessel and the bottom of the pumicestone trap.If the mode of admittingwater shown in Figs. 12 and 13 is used, the pin9 is first placed in the lowest cross-notch of slotted sleeve 10, sothat the lever n is depressed belo7 the reach of crank or shaft 32. Byraising the handle 11 and entering the pin in either of the slots abovethe lowest one the lever n is operated by the crank on shaft s2.

d, thus opening it for an instant and allowing a small amount of waterto be injected into the vessel 1. The valve a., being coneshaped andground in a seat of corresponding shape, directs the water downward andoutward. As it falls a small portion of it is vaporized, the balance isinstantly congealed, and as the process is continued a solid block ofice is formed on the entire bottom of the freezing-vessel, whichincreases in size and height until the block fills the vessel nearly tothe bottom of the valve a, if desired. When sufficient ice has beenmade, air is admitted to the freezing-vessel 1 by opening valve a or bya small air-valve, (not shown,) and the vacuum being thus destroyed thevessel 1 becomes detached from the flange 2.

During the above process of freezing the aqueous vapor passing into theabsorber is entirely absorbed, partly by the surface acid, butprincipallyby meeting the acid in a finel'y-divided condition in theinterstices of the puinice-stone suspended above it. By this method ofcompelling every particle of vapor to come in contact with the acid in afinelydivided condition the operation of freezing can be continued afterthe acid has become heated to 1GOo or 180O Fahrenheit, as the wateryvapor is so well absorbed, while with an ordinary acid-agitator theaqueous vapors generally pass `into the vacuum-pump and destroy thevacuum necessary to freeze water after the acid became heated to O or100o Fahrenheit. Thus by using the pumice-stone strainer the capacity ofthe machine making ice at one operation is increased immensely, fromfive to ten fold, such increase depending on the initial temperature ofthe acid. It also enables me to continue making ice with weaker acidthan could be used with an ordinary agitator, as the effect of imperfectab- IOO IIO

sorption of the Vapor is that part passes into the Vacuum-pump,impairing,` the vacuum and retarding or entirely preventing` freezing'.By using,` a cast-iron acid-holder, enameled to withstand acid I amenabled to rec-oncentrate the charge of acid in it'without removing,l itfrom the Vessel by simply heating it with gas from burners or anoil-stove, or by any heatproducing means most convenient, and leadingthe aqueous vapors separated by the heat through an opening` providedfor that purpose, as shown at o", Fig. This enables me to use a singlecharge of acid repeatedly. The bath X, Figs. 3 and 8, can be placedunder the absorber to cool the acid during the freezing operation bycausing flowing' water to pass through it.

Having now fully described my invention, I claiml. In arefrigerating-machinc, the combination of a Vacuum`-punip, a pipeleading from said pump to an absorbing-Vessel containing sulphuric acid,a liquid stirrer and elevator within said absorber, a perforatedpartition between the surface of the acid in t-he absorber and theairpipe leading' therefronl to the pump, and a porous orliquid-diffusing substance, as described, upon said perforatedpartition, with an air-sealed Vessel havin g a pipe-connection with theabsorber, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a refrigerating-maclline, the combination of a vacuum-pump, a pipeleading,l from said pump to an absorbing-vessel named an absorbencontaining sulphuric acid, a liquid-elevator within said absorber, aperforated partition between .the surface of the acid in the absorberandthe air-pipe leading' therefrom to the pump, and vapor and a porousor liquid-diffusing material, substantially as described, upon saidperforated partition, with an air-sealed Vessel having a pipe-connectionwith the absorber, and means, substantially as described, forautomatically admitting intermittently at regular intervals of timeconical jets of water projected downward into said air-sealed vessel,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the freezingwessel, the supply-pipe, and itsspring-seated Valve, ot' the hammer above the Valve-stem and the trip,constructed and arranged as described, to be actuated by thepump-operating` means, whereby the water to be frozen is automaticallyand intermittently injected in4 small quantities into thefreezing-vessel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oi' two witnesses.

ALEXANDER (JONACHER.

lVitnesses:

l-l. B. HonLocK, HUGH HUGHES, Both of 191 Fleet Street, London, E. C'.

